The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-05-28
CHICAGO ILL., ROCK ARK SATURDAY, MAY 2s lss7
A MORTGAGE LITTER.

The keeper of an Arkansaw pianta- tion supply store, having trusted old Dave Benson for meal and bacon, and having taken mortgage on the old fellows mule, set out one morning as Dave had failed to come to time, to collect the mule. When the store keeper dismounted from his horse at a cottonwood pole fence, surrounding a small cotton patch, he saw old Dave and his wife and children kneeling down; and, as he drew nearer, he saw that they had formed circle about a mule that lay on the ground. A wall, well-timed withAfrican sense of sup plicative concert arose and the store keeper, moved by the scene, kindly said:
 "Dave, you seem to be in trouble ?"
 "Yas, sah, de smitin' angel dun hit me on de hip an thigh"
 "Is your mule dead ?"
 Yas, sah----hush, Fuss, till tell de generman,s addressing his wife. s'Yas, sah, de po' critter dun lef7 us; am whut Pse gwine ter do in dis my hour O yethly 'fiickshun de good Lawd ken only tell"
 "When did he die?"
 Erbout-hush, Puss. Mebbe de Lawd will wide fur us. Died bout CT hour go, sah. Peered to be we'll an hearty dis mawnin' eat his breakfus' wid CT pow'ful fine apertite, an wen l hitched him up he peered ter take sich CT intrust in his wuck dat I felt like fiingin' my arms round his naik, but arterwhiie-Puss.. please put yer 'ligion an yer will-pow' down on yer gre't grief till makes dis kline gener- man 'quainted wid de circumstances O dis we're awful klamity. W'ile I wuz CT turnin' him roun at de eend O CT row, served dat he sorter hung fire, am spoke ter him erbout it, but he shuck his head. Bimeby he gun ter stagger, an den he trapped down right heah whar yer sees him."
 "I am very sorry for you, Dave, but what am I going to do about that bill you owe me ?"
 "Ah, Lawd, Mir. Evans, prover- dence only knows. Elf dis sweet mule
 -kain't hep but call him sweet-I say eff dis sweet mule had CT lived. yer coulder tuck him fur yer pay, but yer see how it Is. Oh, Lawd, have mussy on de 'fiickshuns O dis po' househol.'n i The woman and the children set up such despairing cries that the store- keeper hurried away. "Is he dun gone, Fuss 2" asked old Dave, whose back was turned to- ward the receding figure of the store- keeper.
 "Dun got on his hoss."
 Watch him."
 "Dun turned de bend O de road"
 "All right,' getting up. "Come, stir yer stumps now, all hans. Git up, Steve" touching the mule with his foot. ''Come erhead, now; we'se got ter make up fur dis heah los time. Come rouR in de row, dar; doan' be so slow. Want fur de edycation yer got rum me yer'd been CT slave long Ego. Dis is erbout de if cut-froat mortgage we'se lifted. Come 'roun' in dat row, dar.
 Oh. de Lawd tole AAroa dat he mus'nt wor. ship gol',
 Ter mer long. yanny holy. sing CT huraw, 'Twouid bring out de spots Q ole satan on his Ter ner long. janny holy, wid yer bible an CT fan sn 4DoaH stop ter stretch yer hine laig, Steve. Firs thing yer know I'll cali dat generman back here an let him slap dat mortgage on yer. Den yer think ole Nick dun flung er nddle on yer sho' nun.
 @lGsrs lIosss wss CT snars mn an. lsid down ds law.
 Ter .sr loss ,>.ay holy ..as Ter .s.l mas. bex;
 An ole IT. Aassn aaa ssr nassA sp ssr de taw. Ternsr Iaag j.aay hsay wid sr sAs@s,s Aiss
  New York has had Most too much. - Ner Oy1eass Rscerwse.